Monday, December 28, 2015

Last week Thursday, 12/3/2015, I got rammed from behind as I sat stuck in traffic. I had my safety belts on, so onlygot banged by the head rest against my head. I didn't see the other car coming. I should have. I could have pulled onto the sidewalk to avoid getting hit. I could have hit my horn. I could have braced for impact. Being taken by surprise is nasty.

"You're going to be an influence. It's up to you whether you are a good influence or a bad influence." -- Buck White, as related by his daughter Sharon White (as in Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White, aka Ricky and Sharon Skaggs)

Range Master newsletterhttp://www.rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2015-06_RFTS-Newsletter.pdfPage 2.Excerpt:This is a good example of why we don’t buy into the “just give them what they want and they’ll go away” advice so often given by those opposed to personal self defense. The problem is, if you give them your stuff and wait to see if they really are going to kill you, they might just kill you. At that point, it’s too late to stop them. Personally, I would rather have some input into their decision making process!

Dave Lafferty who owns and runs Quick Draw Nashville,needs a range officer on Sundays to help with his Tennessee Handgun Permit classes. This would be a regular ongoing position for someone with some kind of range officer / safety officer / instructor certification. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please contact me.

When driving -- Pregnant women should place the lap belt as low as possible under the abdomen and the shoulder harness to the side of the tummy bulge and between the breasts. The safety belt will not harm an unborn baby; however, an unborn baby may be harmed if the mother becomes injured in a collision because she failed to wear a safety belt. Never place children in safety seats in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with an air bag, as airbags pop open at speeds of 200 mph and the impact can cause fatalities in younger passengers. If the safety seat is placed correctly (facing backwards), the child's neck will be be broken if the airbag goes off. If the safety seat is placed incorrectly (facing forward) and the child is hit by an inflating airbag, the damage is indescribable! According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 260 deaths are believed to have been caused by airbags inflating during minor crashes; more than 58% of those deaths involved small children who were unbelted or improperly restrained in child safety seats near airbags. If two vehicles meet on a one-lane mountain road, the downhill-facing vehicle should back up until the uphill-facing vehicle can safely pass. Reversing uphill is easier to control than reversing downhill.

Ya, the Roane County General Sessions Court sent me to driving school again. What can I say?

Thursday, December 10, 2015

I met a group of friends for dinner at a restaurant.When my friends entered and sat, we looked at each other considering what stage of life the others were in and what family ties they had. I spoke up first. "I have no wife and kids to think about. (My kids are grown with families of their own.) So, I am the alpha sheepdog. If we are attacked. I will immediately counter attack. Your job is to ensure the escape of those in our party. Escape routes are front doors, back door through the kitchen, and exit down the hallway toward the restrooms (Which I knew of because I had used the restrooms after being seated by the host.)." (I always arrive early so as not to get ambushed. I always recon before sitting down and getting comfortable. I'm always in the tactical seat, because I get there early.) The others at the table agreed. A lady at the next table, over hearing us, asked,"What are you people?" "We're the church planning committee." I responded.

Every Monday night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, I'm coaching the Mount Juliet Christian Academy Rifle Club. We practice at a private indoor range, the Nashville Armory. On the other lanes I see people shooting pistols with incorrect grips. Some of these grips are dangerous, resulting in cut thumbs. Whenever I see such things, I tell a range officer. But, that's not always effective or in time. So, I approach the person and suggest a better way to grip the pistol, as friendly advice. Safety is your responsibility.Don't let someone get hurt because you think that it is not your place to teach, or you fear the person telling you to mind your own business. Because, safety is your responsibility. Yes, as a matter of fact, I am by brother's keeper.

***** Training *****

This past weekend, 12/4/15 to 12/6/15, I took a "Rapid Assault Tactics" 16.5 hour workshop in the ASSERT program at the KSA Martial Academy in Nashville, TN. It was originally developed by Paul Vunak.I enthusiastically recommend the course. (It is physically strenuous.) Some things I learned: You have to have the mind set in order to access your skill set. Bite to your canines or incisors. We do not intend to masticate and swallow, only to tear out flesh, hopefully severing arteries. Why are you scared of a growling dog? The dog only has teeth. You have teeth, two arms, two legs, and training. You can defeat the dog. The dog's brain is behind its eyes. You can easily gouge through the eye into the brain. You can easily bite through the front of its neck to severe its carotid arteries. A couple years ago, the neighbor's dogs were chasing my girlfriend's son around. When I went out to confront the neighbor, his dogs started growling at me. I made a hard decision at that point to immediately kill the dogs. I was not going back into the house to get my gun. I was going to kills the dogs right now with my hands and teeth. Before I charged, the dogs ran away. That is reality. That is mind set. That is why I rarely have a girlfriend.

Close Quarter Combathttp://www.handgunsmag.com/tactics-training/close-quarters-combat-considerations/Excerpts:"Where the head goes the body will follow." That's why it's so important to keep your hair cut short."Palm strike to the jaw to drive the head up and back to drive the enemy back." As Col. Cooper says, Aggressiveness."You won't have time to present your pistol." So, you must have empty hand skills.

May I invite your attention to Galco advertisement, "Miami Classic",http://www.galcogunleather.com/galco-ads.htmlClick on the picture to enlarge it.Where is the pistol pointed? At the wife and baby. This is why shoulder holsters are a bad idea.